AZ Homeowner Shoots Disturbed Man Looking for Girlfriend

A Phoenix homeowner shot a man after he broke into his home on Friday night.

According to the report the homeowner gave to Navajo County Sherriff’s Office (NCSO), he and his wife were in the living room of their home when they heard someone banging on the door of the kitchen.

“The homeowner said the suspect was pounding so hard he was surprised the glass didn’t break,” reported the Sherriff’s Office.

The person attempting to gain access to the home, later identified as 18-year-old William L. Hansen, continued to bang on the door of the home calling for someone inside to come out and greet him.

The homeowner responded (multiple times) that the person Hansen was looking for was not there. Undeterred by this information, Hansen continued to bang on the door and call out for his girlfriend.

Then Hansen tried to reach through the pet door to unlock the kitchen door. The homeowner grabbed his arm and prevented him from unlocking the door. Hansen pulled away and began throwing large rocks at the house, breaking a window.

The homeowner, now worried that the disturbed Hansen might gain access to the home, warned Hansen that he was armed and would shoot. But Hansen ignored the threats and continued as before.

According the NCSO police report of the incident, the home owner grew more and more worried for his and his wife’s safety,

“The male subject appeared to be out of his mind and kept yelling for his girlfriend.”

Then Hansen began to reach through the broken window and unlocked the kitchen door. The homeowner shot Hansen in the leg, but still, Hansen did not stop. Crawling through the house after he fell to the shot, still calling for his absent girlfriend.

The homeowner then held the intruder down until police arrived to arrest him.

“Upon our deputies’ arrival the suspect was belligerent and refused to be identified,” NCSO reported. The Sheriff’s office also reported that the investigation is on going and charges have not yet been filed.

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What lessons do you think can be learned from this self-defense shooting? Leave a comment below to let me know.

 

 

8 Comments

  1. Frank Liso on June 3, 2019 at 5:02 am

    I don’t think the shooting was justified in a legal sense. They were not in imminent danger.They could have blocked of the pet door. Why didn’t they call 911? Why didn’t he try another form of deterrent, I feel he escalated use of force too quickly.

    He may not be charged with a crime however it won’t save him from a civil lawsuit.

    • PUI K on January 6, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      Your talk is cheap till you and your family are threatened.

  2. Bruce Harvey on June 16, 2019 at 12:01 am

    Because if someone breaks into your house, especially while ignoring warnings of deadly force, they’re free game. Nobody is obligated to obey your dogmatic edicts. Property owners have an inalienable right to defend their dwelling with deadly force from home invaders and other intruders. He even gave the dude a chance to stop and leave. Drop the dogma and mind your own business.

  3. Mark on April 1, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    In Arizona, here are the criteria for shooting someone breaking into your home.

    You must not be the primary aggressor in the situation.

    You can only use enough force to combat the threat and not exceed it. For example, if the intruder does not have a gun and you shoot him or her, you may not be able to claim self-defense.

    You must have a reasonable belief that you needed to use force and a physical attack was imminent.

    Based on the information, the homeowner opened himself up to a civil suit. The story states nowhere that he had a weapon, nor intended to use one.

    Know what you’re talking about before you tell someone to mind their own business.

  4. Mark Hudson on April 2, 2020 at 11:25 pm

    You better take a CCW class, and also increase your knowledge on the Castle doctrine. Just because you warn someone, and they have broken into your home, you are setting yourself up for possible manslaughter or assault charges, as well as a civil suit. If you are not in imminent danger, or threatened with a weapon, you may not shoot. You are foolish if you believe if someone is in your home illegally, you may shoot them. Not in Arizona anyway. The Navajo nation has it’s own laws regarding discharge of a weapon to protect your property or home. Reservations are a different jurisdiction than regular state land.

  5. Jerome W Booth on November 15, 2020 at 2:00 pm

    If I shot an “intruder” in the leg, I would get more range time.

  6. Mark on February 10, 2021 at 2:15 am

    I think shooting in the air a warning shot would be the first thing to do before a body shot.

  7. Lee Higby on December 20, 2021 at 2:43 pm

    I had an instance where my son-in-law was here at my home, he blew up and started to scream and scream very loud and I who is crippled, as is he. That boy had a stroke many years ago, but he has been excersizing his good arm and leg.
    I am nearly 80 now and am quite frail. So upon hearing his screams, I went to my front door and that kid came immediately to my door and he hit me as hard as he could.
    I could not stop him.
    He is now far stronger than I am.
    One of my daughter’s called the police as that man was throwing rocks at me, but because of a flag that I have hanging, it stopped the rocks from hitting me.
    In my mind I certainly had the right to meet his force with a response that would be of an immediate and equal force.
    I could have used one of my weapons to stop that maniac. His strength is so much more than I have now.
    However, if he would have tried what he did a few years ago, my strength was still with me, but now it’s gone. I cannot dwell on what was. It’s the here and now that’s important.
    I am prepared. So if I am attacked like that again, I will not hesitate to immediately use deadly force to protect me and mine.

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